Humidifier for automobile-engines.



, useful Improvementin Hmm .toinobile-Engines',

'Toall 'whom z't may concern:

[attached to alr possible amount of change and expense..

j The device embodying lmy inventionalso size to lill .the pipe 2-5 full. The' water -chainberis also-*preferably iilled quite full by the lower-ends of the wicks or by a stuif- PATENT oi'orior..,v

ROBERTS, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, 0F T0 v 'rnnnnn'rcxzn BRQWN, or woBnnN," MASSACHUSETTS.-

HUMIDIFIER non -AUToMoBILE-ENGINES."

Specicationof Letters Patent.

.Patented aan. a, 1919.

Application led Augusta, 1916. Serial No. 116,774.

' Be it. known that; HnNRr P.' ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State iof'Massachuset-ts, 1have invented a certain' new and 'difiers forAuof' which the following is a,` fspe'ciicatio'n,l reference beingl had ltherein to' the accompanying drawings.

' It is well'understoo'd that the' introduction ofproper quantities of moisture into the 4fexplosiveniixture of hydrocarbon 'and ,air results in improved action ofA internal4 .coin-e bustion' engines. Greater-,.full'economy isV produced, there isless trouble resulting from carbonizing-- and other'benetcial results are obtained. -l 1 f' My inventionhas for ,its object afnew and limprovedfdevice for introducing moisture into the explosive mixture of an 'internal combustion engine, iny particular object beingto produce a 4device which 'is `exceedingly simple and cheap' and which can be leady'existing engines with the least aifordsmeans by which the amount of moisture introduced 'partly regulated'` by the-4 fspeed of theengine and partly 'by previousadjustment made 'by the operator.

v The invention will be fully understood when. takenfin connection with the accompanying drawings. and the novel "features 'thereof will-be pointed out and clearly defication'.'

-suppl'ed' to the humidier.-

iined'in the claim atthe close of this, speci- In-the drawings'Fig'ure 1 is a side eleva- "tion of an automobile engine to'. the intakeV manifold of which is attached' a device einbodying my inventon.

Fig.2 is a side elevation ofv 'the humidifier on an enlarged scale. A

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-.3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view partly in section.' Referring 'tothe drawings, at A. is shown and at B isjshown a dashboard. At v11 is lindicated a tank-preferably Vlocated on the dashboard in vwhich 1s placed water tobe Water passes from the tank 11 to the humidifier.v through vaporizing cha'niber '14', said -vaporiziiig regulated or .the vaporizing chamber.

from thewater chamber 13.

i'pe- 12. The humidifier is located on f of moisture introduced will vbe regulated by chambe 14 being connected withthe intake manifo d A by a pipe 15 whichis screwed into t-he hole 161- drilled in a side of' the intake manifold. The vaporizingc, 'mber V14 is open on its ends as shown at 1 16 so that air may be swept into the chamber .the draft 'through the manifold. The -openingof the-pipe I5 into the manifold is con# trolled Vby ,a springfoperated' valye 17'which normally rests against a seatformed inthe end' of the pipe 15; 'The spring 18 holds the' valve closed vnormal'l and the tension on the.

spring may be varie by means of a -thumb' nut 19 and check-nut 20 on a rod 2 l, one end of wliichis secured to, thespring 18.

24. The water ,chamber l13 is j connected with the vapori'zing chamber by a plurality of pipes 25', 25, two being'employed in the forni in the drawing. Through these pipes pass-wicks 26', '26, which extend from the water chamber 13 into -the vaporizing chamber 14.,` These wicks are preferably of a ing of absorbent material suoli as felt. At 27 are shown overflow holes which prevent L the water in the water chamber rising above ajpredeterinined point. AtI 29' islshown -a stop-cock by which the flow of water may .be completely shut off, if desired.

- "In the operation ofv my device, the tank 11 4is lled with water and the stop-cock 29 open to permit it to flow into the water chamber' 13. The water will saturate the wicking or fel't in-the water chamber 13 but will not rise Vabovethe level of the lholesl 27.

Under ordinary circumstances the felt or` wicking in the' chamber will. hold back the 'waterf so :that there will be no overflowthrough the holes 27. When. the engine is started, the draft through the manifold will open the valve land draw in air through This airwill be saturated with moisture drawn upby capillary attraction through the wicks 26, 26

the valve 17 and by the valve 24. The ow of water into the water chamber is con trolled by a stop-cock 2.9.

The. amount From the foregoing it Will be seenlthat,y

small and occupies very little space. It can be installed simply-by drillinga-hole into the manifold and screwing 'intoiit the pipe 15 which carries the humidifier. While itis desirable to place the tank on the dashboard, it may be placed in any. other convenient po sition. rlhe ends of the vaporizing chamber open into the space underl the bonnet and around; the engine and thereforethe air introduced into the engine is Well heated and will carry av relatively large amount of moisture. This moist air is introduced into the explosive mixture at a point just above the 'carbureter andtherefore becomes thoroughly mixed before pa'ssinginto the engine.

-What lf claimi's:

y A humidifier for internal combustion engines, comprising `a ytubular horizontal vaporizlng chamber havlng an an' intake passage, a tubularvair passage extending from.

said vaporizing chamber to the intake manivfold of the said internal combustion engine,

a tubular horizontal Water chamber located below` and supported by said vaporizing chamber and connected thereto by a pipe, a Wick extending from said Waterchamber into said'vaporizing chamber, a Water tank,

In testimony'lwhereof Ir afiX my signature. I

HENRY P. ROBERTS. 

